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Vital Stats: Michael Koch,
40, founder and CEO of Koch Entertainment in Port Washington, New
York

Company: independent music
distribution and record company

Projected 2003 Sales:: more
than $100 million

Der Rebel: Inspired by his
father's music business in Austria, Koch came to the United
States in 1987 to begin Koch Entertainment. By 1991, Koch became
the first national independent music distributor of domestic labels
in the United States, challenging the system that had relied on
regional independent or national major-label distribution.

"I started
everything from nothing and figured it out along the
way."

Solid Gold: By re-releasing
recordings that catalogs have forgotten and signing artists like
Charlie Daniels, Carole King and Ringo Starr (who no longer sell in
huge numbers but still have a solid fan base), Koch has struck
gold: "We have the infrastructure to bring [artists] to the
market the same way multinational conglomerates do and give them
the home-type feeling that used to be prevalent in all record
companies."

Laissez-Faire Label: While
the health of the recording industry is declining, Koch
Entertainment continues to grow. One reason is, Koch nurtures the
artists rather than making demands on them. "We don't
dictate their creative process as much as larger labels would. We
focus more on the artist and the relationship. Let the music speak
for itself."

Coming Attractions: With the
company branching out to VHS and DVD licensing and distribution
through video division Koch Vision, as well as film production with
Koch Lorber Films, Koch Entertainment is growing to be a multimedia
force to be reckoned with. Says Koch, "It's all about
entertainment."